(_b_) The equipment of boats and rafts generally.
(_c_) The launching of the boats attached to davits.
(_d_) The general preparation of the other boats and the pontoon rafts.
The muster list shall assign to the members of the stewards' department their several duties in relation to the passengers at a time of emergency. These duties shall include—
(_b_) Seeing that they are dressed and have put on their life jackets in a proper manner.
(_d_) Keeping order in the passages and on the stairways, and, generally, controlling the movements of the passengers.
The muster list shall specify definite alarm signals for calling all the crew to the boat and fire stations, and shall give full particulars of these signals.
Musters of the crews at their boat and fire stations, followed by boat and fire drills, respectively, shall be held at least once a week, either in port or at sea. An entry shall be made in the official log book of these drills, or of the reason why they could not be held.
Different groups of boats shall be used in turn at successive boat drills. The drills and inspections shall be so arranged that the crew thoroughly understand and are practiced in the duties they have to perform, and that all the boats and pontoon rafts on the ship with the gear appertaining to them are always ready for immediate use.
Every such steam-vessel carrying passengers on the main-deck shall be provided with permanent stairways and other sufficient means, convenient to the passengers, for their escape to their upper deck, in case of the vessel sinking or of other accident endangering life; and in the stowage of freight upon such deck, where passengers are carried, gangways or passages, sufficiently large to allow persons to pass freely through them, shall be left open both fore and aft of the vessel, and also to and along the guards on each side. (R. S., 4484.)
The captain or mate of every such steam-vessel carrying passengers upon the main-deck shall assign to all deck-passengers, when taking passage, the space on deck they may occupy during the voyage, and such space shall not thereafter be occupied by freight nor overcrowded by other persons, nor shall freight be stowed about the boilers or machinery, in such a manner as to obstruct or prevent the engineer from readily attending to his duties. (R. S., 4485.)